You Feel the Rhythm Going?
by ChronoLink93
Summary: [Rave/Party/College AU] They met at a masquerade themed rave but never gave each other their real names, instead going by Ladybug and Chat Noir. But when Adrien finds his Lady in class the next day will he be able to talk to her without his mask or does his confidence drop when it's taken off? Rated M for chapters to come. ((Revised first chapter!))
1. Hey, brother, what you thinking?

**Author's Note:** Oh my gawd you guys make me feel so loved. The sudden surge of followers and the fact that I wasn't drop dead tired from work helped inspire me to rewrite the first chapter. It wasn't bad but I knew that I could do so much better because you guys deserve it. I hope you love this revised chapter as much as you liked the original one, please let me know! XOXO

* * *

Adrien awoke with a low grunt as the sound of his alarm clock blaring in his ears stirred him from his first night of peaceful sleep in what felt like weeks. He slammed his hand down on the snooze button before slowly running it down his face. His brows furrowed together as slowly he started to become aware of everything around him. Where he was, what he had to do that day, what he had done last night. Wait, what did he do last night? The crease in his brows tightened as he asked himself that question again because there wasn't a reason for him to forget. He sat up and swung his feet over the mattress as he looked around his bedroom, hoping he might find a clue.

Then he saw it almost glowing on his nightstand. A piece of red stationary decorated with black dots with a quick message scribbled down in some adorable handwriting if he had any say on that. He picked it up to read it over although he was pretty sure he'd already done that hundreds of times.

 _Mon Minou,_

 _Thank you for the wonderful evening. Hope to see you again, soon._

"Mi'lady…" he hummed softly as he brought the paper to his lips. He closed his eyes as he started to remember what had happened the night before.

~*Flashback*~

" _Dude, you've been pent up in your dorm since you got here, classes start tomorrow bro, you_ need _this. Before you get bogged down with homework and shit just come to this one party." Nino whined over the phone. Adrien was sitting at his desk browsing through who knows what on his laptop as he half assedly listened to his friend._

" _Don't forget the photo shoots." He idly tossed out which only earned him an annoyed grunt on the other end of the phone._

" _This is exactly what I'm talking about, dude. You need to relax and take a break for just one night. Just one, that's all I'm asking."_

" _Isn't it some kind of masquerade thing, though? I don't have a costume."_

" _You still have that black cat get up from last year's Halloween? Just throw on the ears and the tail, get some black face paint and paint a mask on your face, and viola! Costume. C'mon, duuuuudddeee"_

 _Adrien was silent on his end for a few good minutes as he weighed his options. Classes started tomorrow so if he went to this party he'd probably oversleep and be late for his first day, which is not a good start. But, Nino had a point. Once he had moved into the dorm the young model hadn't left unless it was for a photo shoot. Otherwise he sat in front of his computer just like he was doing now and did absolutely nothing all day. "Fine." He stated before hanging up the phone so he didn't have to listen to Nino's cheers of victory. He stood from his desk and went to his closet to rummage through and hopefully find his old Halloween costume. Luckily he found what he needed and then some, apparently a black mask had made it's way into his things but he didn't question it. Saved him from having to try and paint one on._

 _When he met up with Nino outside the rave he was surprised at the venue. He didn't expect such a large warehouse to be set up so nicely despite what it was. Everyone seemed dressed up really nicely for a change but the music was the same. They made their way inside to grab some drinks and from there do...nothing. Well, Adrien didn't really do anything. Nino found some girl, he didn't really get a look at her face, and they had wandered off together which left Adrien alone with his one drink. He was considering heading home early and reached into his pocket for his phone when he glanced up and spotted her. How had he missed her before?_

 _Maybe it was just to him but she stood out apart from everyone else like the lights purposefully bathed her in adoration. She was dancing alone in the crowd, eyes closed behind her red mask littered with black spots, and he almost forgot how to breathe as he watched her. Gorgeous raven hair was tied into two adorable little pigtails with red ribbons holding them up. She was lost in the music and he was lost in her but that wasn't what made his jaw drop. It was when she opened those damned, beautifully blue eyes and made contact with his that the whole room seemed to stop._

 _He felt like he was being pulled towards her and he was not about to complain about that. He left his drink behind at the bar as he began to wade through the sea of people to get to her. Their gaze never broke as he approached, blue locked with green as she continued to sway her hips with the music. The moment they were next to each other she reached an arm up to wrap around his neck and gently pull him closer. It felt like lightning stuck him where he stood as this energy surged through him. He put one of his hands around her waist to lessen the distance between them even further and the pair started dancing together._

~*End Flashback*~

The blond let out a strangled groan and threw himself back onto his mattress as he recounted the feeling he had when dancing with her. It was like he could still feel her body heatedly pressed up against his; could still feel her curves under his fingertips when his hand ghosted over her exposed waist. He licked his lips as he remembered her breath hitching against his smirk when he leaned against her. His scalp itched as the shadow of her fingers still raked through his hair, holding him oh so dangerously close to those plump lips but never letting him claim them for himself. And the way her hips…

Hurriedly he planted his hand against his growing arousal over his underwear as he tried to think of something else about that night. Even though he was alone and the idea was truly tempting he felt like doing that would ruin his image of her. It was probably weird but he also didn't want to be one those guys that jacks off to any beautiful women they meet. He let out a slow sigh as he calmed himself down as he thought about a different scene from that night.

~*Flashback*~

 _The pair was laughing as they ran out one of the many warehouse exits hand in hand. They had run up some stairs and ended up on the roof with Paris' starlit skyline giving them a romantic backdrop. Even though it was dark out he could see her blush when she realized they were still holding hands even though they had stopped moving. With an excited grin he raised said hand to his lips and planted a chaste kiss against her fingers. "So, Mi'lady, what can I call you if you won't give me your name?" He asked against her fingers though his gaze was lost in her eyes once more._

 _She giggled at him and slipped her hand out of his grasp only to gently tap him on his nose with her index finger. "Ladybug, since that was the idea for my costume. And it's a masquerade, Minou, so telling you my real name would ruin the whole allure of the mask." Her voice was like velvet for his ears and he kind of liked the nickname she gave him. But still, how was he supposed to find her again if she didn't tell him her name? He didn't want this to be their only night together. Maybe if he played along with her game?_

" _I guess that's fair." He starts, standing up straight. "But, I'm not a kitten anymore, Ladybug. I'd much prefer...Chat Noir, than Minou." He said with a wide smile. She laughed and his heart melted at the song of a sound. He didn't even know who this girl was but he felt like he was falling dangerously into territory he wasn't sure he was ready to be in again. But if it was with her, then maybe…_

 _The pair spent the rest of their night together just talking, joking, and laughing. He figured out that she was an aspiring fashion designer and was currently studying in college but she never said which one. He explained that he was also in college but was in the process of changing his major and school because he wasn't sure what it was exactly he wanted to do. He left out that he was a model for his father's company because he enjoyed the idea of being around one person that didn't instantly recognize him from one of the billboards and start asking for autographs and the like. It made him feel like a normal human for once. He found out that she worked part time at her parents bakery so he explained the he helped his father out with his company but again left out exactly what it was. They both liked Jagged Stone, Ultra Mecha Strike III (which she teased she could whoop his ass in), they even liked some of the same animes. Although he was sure he was a bit more into it than she was so he kind of downplayed exactly how much he liked it._

 _He could of sat on top of that warehouse all night just talking with her but like all good things it had to end. She pulled out her phone when it started buzzing in her pocket and seemed to frown at whatever message she had received. "Hey, I have to run back downstairs, my friend needs me." She said as she stood up quickly. "But, I'll be back, I promise." She tossed him a quick smile and he nodded up at her before she ran off back towards the stairwell. So he waited up there for her. And he waited, and waited some more but it looked like she wasn't coming back. Did he do something wrong? Maybe she didn't actually like him and was just acting nice so she didn't hurt his feelings? Or, not so negative thoughts, maybe something important came up and she had to leave. She did look pretty upset when she looked down at her phone. He ruffled his hair and stood up, deciding to head back downstairs to try and find either her or Nino when the stairwell door opened. He felt his heart surge and then quickly plummet when it was Nino that walked onto the roof._

" _Dude, there you are, I've been looking everywhere." Nino said, rushing up to him. "I was trying to find you inside and then I ran into this really cute looking girl. I asked if maybe she knew where you were and she told me you'd be up here. She also asked me to give you this and said she was sorry but her friend was having some kind of emergency so they had to leave." Nino explained as he handed over the red letter. "Who is she, anyway?"_

 _Adrien took it quickly and read it over, smiling like a stupid idiot as he read the sentence over and over again. "Ladybug…" He answered with a light sigh. He wasn't sure how but he was determined to find her again, find out her real name, and get her on a date. He didn't care if he had to attend every single party trying to find her again he was determined to have her. And when an Agreste wants something they get it._

~*End Flashback*~

Adrien rested his arm over his eyes to block out the light as he continued to think about the night he spent with Ladybug. He remembered his promise to himself for finding her and once again assured himself that he would definitely see her again. But for now he should probably get ready for school so that he wasn't late. He lifted his arm off his face and dropped it onto the mattress as he looked over at his clock to actually read the time when he froze. 8:45 am glared at him in red numbers. "Shit!" he shouted as he flew out of his bed to throw some clothes on. First day of the new semester and he was already fifteen minutes late to class. He barely had a shirt on when he threw his backpack over his shoulders and sprinted out of his dorm at top speed.

Luckily his first class was in the History building which wasn't too far from the dorms but that thought didn't slow down his run in the slightest. It wasn't until he was in the hallway his class resided in that he slowed down to a power walk. When he made it to the door he stopped to catch his breath and collect himself before opening it to step inside. He was happy when the professor didn't stop his lecture, just gave him a look that said 'It's your first day, it's okay to be late, just take a seat' and Adrien was quick to comply. A quick scan of the classroom revealed an open seat next to some red-tipped brunette who was excitedly whispering to a friend on her right.

He didn't look at who she was talking to because he was more worried about sitting down and getting his things unpacked for class. Quietly he made was way towards the open seat and sat down to the left of the brunette. He settled into the class, putting down his notebook and quickly began to scribble down what notes he could before the professor continued his lecture and changed slides on his presentation. It was then that the conversation going on next to him caught his attention.

"So wait, if you guys didn't tell each other you names then what _did_ you call him?" The brunette asked her friend.

"Well, I called him Minou but he said he wanted to go by Chat Noir."

Adrien almost snapped his pencil in half.


	2. Leave that old record spinning

Okay, Adrien was well aware of that 'It's a small world' saying but he was not expecting his world to be _that_ small. There was no way that girl was in his class, that was too convenient, wasn't it? He leaned forward on his desk and rested his head in his hand while trying to discreetly look over at the two girls to try and get a better look at the brunette's friend. His breath stopped when he saw raven pigtails and his eyes widened when he saw those gorgeous blue eyes again. There she was sitting two seats down from him in class and good god she was even more beautiful without the mask on. Where those freckles? Fuck, don't stare, she'll see you! He diverted his gaze as the lesson being taught but he wasn't paying attention anymore.

He leaned back in his chair and pulled his phone out under the desk. He made sure it was in silent before he started texting Nino.

[Dude, help. That girl from last night, the one who gave me that letter. She's in my class. What do I do?!]  
[Calm down. Are you sure it's her?]  
[She's talking about me to her friend. They're both sitting right next to me, yes I'm sure]  
[Dude, score! Talk to her after class.]  
[What?! No! "Hey, I was eavesdropping on your conversation in class and decided to come say hey" That doesn't sound creepy as fuck.]  
[You're overthinking it, dude. You're a smooth guy, I'm sure you could come up with something better than that.]  
[No, I can't. I can't think.]  
[Aww, man, you've got it bad for her. Lol.]  
[Nino I swear to god…]  
[Alright, alright, chill. Look, she wants to play that whole mysterious identity game with you. So play the game. Leave her some kind of note like the one she left you.]

Adrien looked up from his phone as he considered the idea. That wasn't too bad, actually. But he'd want to get something so she _knew_ it was from him. Kind of like how the letter she gave him was decorated to look like a ladybug. There had to be some kind of gift shop type of place that would have what he was looking for. He sent Nino one last text saying that was a good idea and that he'd give it a try before he went back to trying to pay attention to the class. He couldn't. His mind was full of the girl sitting two seats away. She was really there.

Because he wasn't paying attention to class the lesson was over much faster than he anticipated. Instead of rushing out of the class he waited for the two girls to leave just so he could watch her as she left. She was so cute in her flower printed shirt and pink capris. He caught himself staring at her like a dumb schoolboy and quickly shook himself from his thoughts, gathered his things, and left the classroom. He watched as her and her friend disappeared down the hallway and let out a breath before walking in the opposite direction to head towards his next class.

The rest of day went by in a blur as Adrien tried to figure out how exactly he should contact his Lady. He knew he was going to write her that letter but what was he going to write and how was he going to give it to her? He'd probably have to get to class before her and set it down where she sat. But that still left him with what he was going to write. Also he had to find a place that sold stationary with some kind of black cat on it. That was probably going to be easier said than done because it was August and that was probably considered Halloween related so it was too early for that stuff to be out in the stores. Still, he hopped on a bus and took it towards the nearby mall. If he was going to find the kind of store he needed it was definitely going to be there.

It felt like he was searching for hours but he finally found what he was looking for. Honestly it was too perfect but this whole situation he was in kind of allowed for it. The paper was a lime green but the top of it appeared to have the face of a black cat with matching green eyes staring up at whoever read it. He was back in his dorm sitting at his desk just staring at the paper still trying to figure out what he was going to write. "This is so stupid why is it so hard?" he muttered to himself as he held his head in hands. He didn't know what to say that didn't come across as incredibly stalkerish.

He powered up his laptop thinking that maybe he needed a distraction to clear his head. He browsed through facebook when an alert caught his attention for some event going on tomorrow. He pulled up the webpage and saw that it was huge bonfire dance. Maybe he should invite her to that? Since it was outdoors he was sure he'd be allowed to bring his fire staff and maybe show off a few tricks. Was that self centered of him? Maybe but if it impressed her then it didn't really matter. He pulled out a pen and started writing down on the paper.

 _Ladybug,_

 _Bonfire dance tonight, I'd love to see you there._

That done he stood from his desk and grabbed his staff from where it rested in a corner of his room. He cleared some space so he had enough room to practice before he started to twirl it between his fingers. If he was going to show off tomorrow he wanted to make sure he got everything right. He was up the rest of the night making sure he got everything right and quietly cursed at himself whenever he dropped it or messed something up.

The next morning he made sure he was extra early to his first class and seemed relieved when he poked his head inside the classroom and she hadn't arrived yet. There was a number of students already in the room which gave him good cover. He made his way towards his seat and sat down, pulled the note from his backpack, and set it on the desk in front of where she had sat the day before. Hopefully she took the same seat otherwise some random stranger would get a very confusing letter. He then proceeded to pull out the rest of his things and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as she entered the classroom alone. He guessed her friend hadn't gotten to school yet. He tried not to make it obvious as his eyes carefully followed her movements as she approached her desk. He wanted to take her hand and make himself known but luckily he was able to restrain himself as she moved past him and sat down in the same spot she had yesterday. The blonde could feel a blush rise to his cheeks as she stared down at his letter to her.

She picked it up with a surprised gasp and read it over. Her eyes scanned the words over and over again before she quickly looked around the whole classroom. "How the hell…" he heard her whisper as she looked at the paper again. Then she smiled and Adrien thought he'd melt. His heart soared as she took the paper and pressed it against her chest and nodded to herself. He was so caught up in watching her he didn't see her friend enter the classroom and sit between them. He looked back down at his notebook but kept his ear open to listen in on their conversation.

"Alya! You will not believe this but I...got a letter from him."  
"From who? That Chat guy?"  
"Yes! He invited me to that bonfire dance tonight! I don't know how he managed to get this to me but I'm definitely going. Should I wear that mask again?"  
"Probably. You guys haven't seen each other's faces yet so it's the only way he'll recognize you."  
"Yeah but he apparently knew where I was sitting...maybe he's in our class?"

Shit. Adrien bit his lip. Do something that doesn't make you look suspicious! He pulled out his phone and pretended to text on it, acting like he wasn't paying attention to the girls as they looked around the classroom together. Don't look at them, don't look at them, don't look at them. As if on queue the professor walked into class and called attention to himself. The model let out a breath as if the professor had just saved his life by deciding to start the lesson right then and there. The girls settled themselves into their seats. Since he already had his phone out he decided to send a real text this time to Nino.

[Guess who has a date tonight. ;P]  
[Hell yeah, dude! How'd you do it? You use my idea?]  
[Yeah, left her a letter on her desk.]  
[Way to go dude, good luck tonight then.]

Adrien smirked down at his phone before putting it back in his pocket and looking up to pay attention to today's lecture. All throughout class though he couldn't stop himself from glancing towards his Lady occasionally. He felt like he was on cloud nine just thinking about the possibilities that could unfold tonight. Maybe she'd actually tell him her name because even though they shared a class together he still somehow managed not to overhear it. It was like she was censoring every mention of her name when he was around like she had control over who heard it and who didn't.

When class was over he again remained behind to watch her leave the classroom. She was staring down at the note he left for her and he could see her cheeks turn pink as she read it again. "She's adorable…" He whispered to himself before he eventually stood up and left the classroom as well.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Aww Adrien you're such a cutie. Here's Chapter 2! I hope you like it. I got the idea for the fire staff thing since in the show Chat's weapon is a Bo Staff. Maybe because of the yo yo Marinette here might also know a trick or two with some poi? We'll see! Please let me know what you think of this chapter and I'll see you again with the third installment!


	3. You feel the rhythm, going

Again the rest of his classes went past in a blur because she was the only thing on his mind. He was practically jumping when he got back to his dorm room to start getting ready for the dance tonight. He found the costume he had worn to the masquerade two nights ago and settled the mask back on his face along with the cat ears. It was probably silly to wear a costume to a bonfire but it mattered to them. She didn't know what he looked like under his mask and even though he knew what she looked like he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

Dressed for the part of Chat Noir once more he grabbed his staff from the corner and set out towards the bonfire. He took a bus towards the outskirts of the city for the second time that week. There was a large field crowded with people and a pavilion that had the DJ booth set up in it. Even though the sun hadn't gone down yet there was already a few controlled fires started with people dancing around them. He wasn't the only one who had the idea of bringing props as he spotted numerous dancers with fans, hula hoops, poi, and staffs like his own.

But that wasn't the important part. He probably should have written down some meeting place on the letter as he roamed the field trying to find Ladybug. It was entirely possible she wasn't there yet but given how excited she seemed in class he doubted she waited long to get here. He walked with his staff resting on his shoulders and his arms draped over the pole as he searched for her. It didn't take long for him to come across a clearing of dancers that she was apart of.

For the second time that week his jaw went slack because of course. Of course she knew how to dance with fire poi. She was already amazing he should have known she could do something like that. Her grip on its ropes were loose as she swung two orbs of fire around her figure. They circled around and above her as she spun with the motions. Quickly she clapped her hands together while the momentum of the poi wrapped their ropes around her fingers. Before they could could collide with her skin she flicked her wrist and they went spinning in the opposite direction. The second her hands were free from the ropes she pulled her hands apart and began to spin figure eight designs. Those turned into a lotus and from there a cat's eye and eventually she fell back into a simple three beat spin.

He felt star struck as he watched, unnoticed by her as she was too absorbed in her dance and he was standing off in the crowd of onlookers. He felt his stomach flip as a wave of nervousness washed over him. What if he messed up with his dance? What if he dropped the staff while it was lit or didn't catch it? What if he hit her with it? She'd hate him after that. No, no, stop it Adrien. You're well practiced and nothing like that has ever happened before. You can do this! With his pep talk giving him a small boost in confidence he stepped forth from the crowd with a smirk towards her.

Her eyes landed on him and she smiled, lowering her poi as she looked him over. He raised his staff out towards her and tried not to get lost in those eyes once more. "May I _bug_ you for a light, Mi'lady?" He asked her with a wink. Why did he have to make a pun? Was that a pun? It was stupid that's what it was. Her laugh pulled him from his thoughts and he stared at her as he watched her raise one of her poi to light the end of the staff that was pointing at her. He flipped it in his hands and waited patiently as she lighted the other end before taking a few steps back from him. He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. 'You can do this, Adrien.' He told himself one last time.

He closed his eyes to better listen to the music, getting a feel for the rhythm so that he could time his movements along with its beat. With a few taps of his feet he twirled the staff behind him and chucked it up into the air. He spun himself around before he caught the staff and began his dance. He twirled the staff around his fingers while moving it around his torso creating numerous patterns with the light it left behind. He pulled out every trick he knew, rolling the staff up his arm and letting it spin around his neck before it glided down the opposite arm. He paused only once to separate the staff into two pieces, quickly lighting the two new ends, and returned to his dance. His eyes glanced at her often to gauge her reaction and from what he could tell she was loving what she saw.

Then she started to join in with him, again moving her poi around her body. The two of them faded into the music as they started to dance together. They came as close as the could, mingling their tricks with one another, and just laughed and smiled together. It was only them in their little world and they wouldn't have it anyother way. Eventually their arms started to tire and their dance came to an end but the night was still young with the sun having only just settled behind the horizon. There was a bucket of water near them that they extinguished their flames in before they settled down near one of the bonfires.

"I'm so happy you actually came, mi'lady." He said excitedly as he sat down in the soft grass. She giggled as she sat down next to him and leaned back on her hands. "I was really happy that you invited me." She beamed. 'So cute…' he thought to himself. Once again endless conversation erupted between the pair as they ever so slowly inched closer towards the other. Before they even realized what was happening they were sitting shoulder to shoulder and her head was resting against his arm. Slowly their conversation died down and eventually they were just sitting there happily enjoying the other's company while they stared into the fire and listened to the music around them.

"Hey…" her voice broke the silence. "...how did you get that letter to me, anyway?" She asked as she lifted her head up to look at him. His cheeks felt hot as a blush formed under his mask. "Uh...well, we actually...share a class at school." He admits sheepishly with a hand scratching at the back of his head. She stared at him wide eyed and leaned back some. "But...how did you know it was me if I didn't give you my name?"  
"Actually I still don't know your name."  
"Then how did you know it was me?"  
"I can't forget eyes like yours." He says perhaps a bit too dreamily. It was her turn to blush as she looked down at the grass. He bit his lip thinking that maybe he ruined whatever it was that was forming between the two but his doubts were squashed as she rested her hand on top of his.

"Marinette." She said softly. Her other hand moved up to remove the mask she wore and once it was gone she looked up at him with a flush under those adorable freckles. "My name is Marinette." Adrien's breath caught in his throat, he didn't even know what air was or that it was important. Yeah sure he knew what she looked like already because they shared a class but this was different. The bonfire they sat next to washed over her features with a warm glow while its reflection danced in her eyes. Her hair teased at the edges of her eyes playing with the idea that they might be able to cover up those gorgeous sapphires but he doubted it actually could. He must have been gawking too long because he watched her squirm uncomfortably under his gaze.

He cleared his throat and shook himself slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean, sorry." He stammered before he let out the breath that was formerly trapped. "You're beautiful, Marinette." He said, her name felt like honey on his tongue. He watched as her blush deepened and he couldn't stop the smile that formed across his features. He looked down at her hand that was still resting on his and carefully he wiggled his hand around so he could lace their fingers together. "So...what's your name?" She asked shyly.

Oh no, oh no. Of course she would ask she basically just revealed herself to him. It was only fair he did the same. But she had to know who he was if she was an aspiring fashion designer. His face was plastered on billboards and fashion magazines and oh god. She'd freak out. She'd start acting differently around him. Maybe he'd intimidate her just by her knowing who he was. She seemed like such a sweet girl but what if the truth made her feel differently towards him? But...on the other hand, maybe she was different? He was scared that he was already this attached to her even though they only spent two nights together. His thoughts started flashing back to the last relationship he had. If one could call it that. It was mostly just him being used as the girl's puppet as she used his fame to climb the social ranks. But Marinette wouldn't do that, right?

"Promise me you won't freak out?" He asked her nervously. She looked at him confused. "Why would I freak out?" She asked him with a slight tilt of her head. "Just, please promise." He begged her as his hold on her hand tightened. She offered him a reassuring smile and gently squeezed his hand back. "I promise." Her words helped him calm down some but he still was unsure. Slowly his free hand moved up to his mask and he reluctantly peeled it off. "My name is Adrien." He said quietly as he set the mask down on the grass. He heard her gasp and watched as she raised her other hand to cover her mouth.

"Adrien...Agreste? The model?" She asked through her fingers. Oh great, here we go. He nodded his head and looked down because he knew there was an impending freak out about to happen, it couldn't be helped. Or so he thought. He listened as she took in a few calming breaths and then suddenly her fingers were under his chin; tugging his head up to look at her. Her touch set his body on fire and when he looked into her eyes they were so calm he just wanted to melt where he sat. "I made a promise not to freak out, I'm not gonna break it." She said with a small giggle. He couldn't help but laugh back a little which just caused her to laugh even more.

When they finally calmed down the two sat there maybe just a little bit awkwardly but glad they were able to put the masks aside. "So...I'm the lucky girl to catch your attention? I'm not going to have to worry about any crazy fangirls trying to get me, am I?" She asked jokingly. He rolled his eyes and leaned back on the grass some. "Nah, and if they do I'll keep you safe, Princess." He had no idea where that nickname came from but it just sort of happened and she quickly turned pink at it. The music came to a stop and the pair looked around to see that a good number of the parties guests had left or were currently in the process of leaving. "We should probably head back to the school." He muttered although he didn't want to leave. "Let me take you back to your dorm?" He asked, looking back at her.

She blinked at him a few times before smiling and nodding her head. "I'd like that." She said sweetly and Adrien couldn't suppress his wide smile. With her hand still in his he stood before helping her to her feet. Quickly he gathered up his staff along with her poi before holding out his arm for her to take. Happily she looped her arm through his and the two made their way towards the bus station.

Once on the bus again words started to flow freely from the other. Even though it was easy before nothing was off limits now that they knew who the other one was. He explained what it was like to work with his father and she described what helping out at her parent's bakery was like. They almost missed their stop for the school because they were so absorbed in each other. Adrien felt like he was in heaven.

"No, no, there's no way. If that were to happen I'm pretty sure the universe would implode." Marinette said with a laugh as they approached the girl's dorm on campus. Adrien started laughing lightly when they came to a stop at the building's doors. "Well, here we are Princess, safe and sound." He said with a wink. She shoved him with her shoulders playfully before gathering her poi from off his shoulders where they rested.

"I had a really great time tonight, Adrien. Thank you." She said softly, looking up at him with a faint blush on her cheeks. "I did too, Marinette." He sighed back. His body started moving on it's own as slowly he leaned down towards her. His ears filled with the sound of blood rushing through his veins while his heart hammered in his chest. She leaned up to meet him while both their eyes closed and suddenly it felt like fireworks were exploding through his body. Her lips were soft against his own; Adrien felt like he could die right there and be perfectly happy. He brought one hand up to gently cup her cheek while her arms moved up to wrap around his neck. Their kiss deepened and he swore he heard her sigh as they did so.

Time stopped as they remained where they were, Adrien's other arm making it's way around her waist as she held him tighter. He was sad when it had to end because, as he usually forgot, air was important and they needed to not be lip locked so they could breath. They both stared at each other with equal shades of crimson on their cheeks while they reluctantly pulled apart from each other. "Goodnight, Minou." She whispered up at him before moving to open the door to the building. "Goodnight, mi'lady." He said back to her, watching as she smiled at him for one last time that night as she slipped inside the dormitory to make her way up to her room.

He took a few steps back just to look up at the building as his heart raced away in his chest. "Sweet dreams…" he muttered to himself while turning around to head back towards his own room.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** What, another chapter already? I know, I'm on a roll with this AU. Adrien you smooth yet shy motherfucker. Enjoy, lovelies, and as always please let me know what you think! Also, be warned, I know it's super cute and fluffy right now but the story is far from over and there may be a few dark moments in the budding couples future. Stay tuned for more! XOXO


	4. (They call it lonely digging)

The next few weeks in Adrien's life were probably the happiest set of weeks he's experienced ever. After exchanging phone numbers with Marinette the two had been either texting or calling each other non stop. They weren't officially dating yet nor did they call each other girlfriend and boyfriend; honestly Adrien didn't know what to label it but honestly he didn't really care. Just so long as he could at least see her or talk to her once a day he was perfectly happy. That was probably him being way too clingy but she seemed just as happy about it as he did so it made him feel a little bit better.

They had attended a few more dance parties together during those few weeks and good lord were they amazing. On the dance floor it was just the two of them in their own, perfect little world. To him their bodies fit so perfectly together and they had such a natural chemistry between them that their moves were flawless. And she the worst tease imaginable. She knew _exactly_ how turn him on, how to move against him, or when to gently tug him closer just to push him away. There had been a few heated moments between them where they escaped to some hidden spot at whatever venue they were at. He'd have her pinned against the wall unable to separate his lips from hers but they never took it further than maybe getting a little too handsy with one another.

Those nights were probably the roughest on his self control. He'd get back to his dorm after making sure she got to hers safe and it'd take everything he had in him not to give himself some kind of release the moment his door was closed. There had been a lot of cold showers and he was considering taking up some kind of meditation because he still refused to give himself that luxury. It's not that he was against self pleasure in any sense but he felt like doing that to her would make him feel dirty. If anything like that were to happen between the two of them he wanted it to be something special, which may or may not be childish. He wasn't a virgin and he didn't expect her to be either but this feeling he had for her went beyond typical lust.

At school they had been pretty subtle about the change in their relationship, whatever it was. They refrained from sitting next to each other but it didn't stop them from talking when they could. In the process Adrien became acquainted with her friend Alya who, it turns out, had been the girl Nino had met at the same party Adrien met Marinette. According to Nino he and the brunette were sort of in the same boat but had maybe taken things a step or two further although the aspiring DJ refused to give specifics. And honestly Adrien really didn't want those.

Three weeks into their dance party rendezvous and Adrien was ready to take her out on an official date. Sure meeting up at some party could kind of be considered one but he meant like a real date. Something along the lines of taking her out to dinner or a movie or the like. Or maybe something not so classic? He leaned back in his desk chair as he thought of different ideas for a possible date. He powered up his laptop and pulled up a web browser to start scanning through multiple ideas. Eventually he found two that he felt like he could easily string together into an excellent _real_ first date. He started making the proper preparations he could this far ahead of time and went to bed that night hopeful of the weekend to come.

The next day in class he met Marinette at their desks and the two started chatting away as they normally did. Nerves held his tongue from properly asking her but by the time he got the courage Alya arrived and knocked him out of his game. It wasn't long after that their professor arrived and he quietly settled for asking her after class. He paid attention as best as he could but he was too busy thinking about his hopeful weekend plans to take down any good notes. It was the first class that seemed to drag behind slower than usual. He nearly jumped out of his seat when the lecture came to an end.

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien called out to her once they had exited the classroom. She paused and turned around to look at him curiously. "Yes?" She asked, taking a few steps from Alya so that it was just the two of them talking to each other. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Um, I know that we've...kind of...gone on dates. If those really count, anyway. This Saturday I was wondering if you'd like to go on a real one? Not to another party like an honest date?" He asked sheepishly while looking down at his feet. It wasn't until he finished asking her that he looked up to see her smiling widely with a cute hint of pink on her cheeks. "I'd love to, Adrien."

He matched her smile with one of his own. "Great! I'll pick you up at 3?" She nods at him. "Sounds wonderful." He felt like a kid with schoolboy crush. "Awesome, 3 o'clock then. Oh, and bring your sketchbook. You might want it." He tells her before taking her hand and planting a quick kiss on it. "I'll see you then, mi'lady." She giggled up at him and nodded her head once more. "I can't wait." He was giddy with excitement as they exchanged a quick goodbye and made their ways to their respective classes. He could hear as he left the hallway the excited chatter between Marinette and Alya as obviously the latter was quick to find out what had just happened. The blonde was stuck in a love struck haze for the rest of the day.

Saturday just couldn't come fast enough but when the day finally arrived Adrien was flying around his dorm room trying to figure out what he should wear, debating if he should go get a quick haircut, and making sure that he had everything planned out properly. He knew that given there would be a lot of walking he had to make sure he wore something comfortable but he still wanted to look his best. He settled for a nice button up shirt matched with a blazer and fresh jeans along with comfortable shoes though they were still somewhat stylish. Previously he had sent her a text to wear something comfortable as well along with shoes that she could walk around in because the last thing he wanted was for her to get uncomfortable.

He was outside of her dorm a few minutes early and nervously fumbled with his fingers as he rested against the buildings walls. The model almost jumped when the door opened and Marinette emerged. He was taken away with how cute she looked. She wore an airy, cream colored blouse that hung loosely against her frame with exposed shoulders and billowy sleeves. It was paired with a light pink, high waisted skirt that ended just above her knees and white ballet flats. She also carried a small bag with her that he assumed carried her sketchbook along with anything else that she might need.

"Wow…" he breathed as he looked her over. "You look amazing, Marinette." She smiled warmly at him as she swayed slightly. "You look pretty handsome yourself." Adrien blushed lightly at her compliment before holding out his arm for her to take. "Are you ready, mi'lady?" She nodded happily at him and wrapped her arm around his.

His plans for that day had included what seemed like aimless wandering through Parisian streets but was really a mapped out course to spot numerous, well appraised sections of murals and street art. Some of them they would stop at for Marinette to take pictures of with her phone saying they gave her a few ideas for fashion pieces, something he had been planning on. They stopped for a quick bite to eat at a hole-in-the-wall italian bistro where they animatedly talked about anything and everything. From there they made a quick hop on the metro to the Michel Bizot station, walked past the Musée national de l'histoire de l'immigration and made their way towards the Lac Daumesnil. The sun was just beginning to set when they made their way towards the bank that rested across from the Temple Romantique.

"Adrien, you can't be serious?" Marinette asked with a laugh as the blonde quickly rented one of the small rowboats to take them across the river. "What, afraid of a little water, Princess? I promise I'll get us across safely, both times." He claimed as he moved one hand to rest across his heart while the other was raised up in the air. She giggled at him, shaking her head but agreed to getting on the boat with him. He was able to easily row them both across and helped her get out onto shore safely before getting out of the boat himself. He was glad it wasn't incredibly crowded with only a very small number of other couples sharing his idea.

From there they easily made their way up to the stone structure only to find a comfortable spot to sit down and watch the sun set. "This is amazing." Marinette sighed out happily while resting her head against his shoulder. Adrien shifted just enough to wrap his arm around her without moving her too much and settled his head on top of hers. "I'm glad you like it." He hummed quietly. The two sat like that until the sun vanished behind the trees around them. At some point Marinette had managed to retrieve her sketch book to begin idly doodling down a few of her previous idea while Adrien watched quietly.

"Hey, so, I was wondering…" Adrien started softly, pulling Marinette out of her focus on her work to look at him. "I mean, I think it's clear that I really like you and I can only hope that you like me back. So...maybe, if it's okay with you-" he was cut off with a sudden kiss. He barely took a second to recognize what was happening before he returned it happily no matter how brief it was. "I'd love to be your girlfriend, Minou." She whispered. His heart skipped a beat at her words as his arms wrapped around her just to claim her lips once more.

Eventually Adrien brought the two back to the other side of the lake so he could return the rowboat and the pair made their way, hand in hand, back towards their university. They shared one last kiss goodnight in front of her building before she made her way up towards her room and he crossed the campus to enter his own dorm and fall happily on his bed. He rested a hand over his chest just to make sure that his heart didn't explode out of it but he doubted his hand would really stop it if it did.

He dug his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts until he found Nino's name and quickly started typing away.

[I think...I think I'm in love.]  
[Alya told me you guys had a date tonight. Must have gone well, you guys official yet?]  
[Yeah.]

"Yeah…" he repeated to himself as he stared up at his ceiling.

* * *

 **A/N:** Alright I know I hinted at possible darkness in the future but I couldn't help myself. I just needed to add one more chapter of fluff before I started plunging into the angst of the story. Two new players are about to enter field in the next chapter, so stay tuned! And please let me know what you think, I love to read your thoughts on what's been going on so far, so R &R as always! Until next time, my sweets. XOXO


	5. Let's end your time to lay low

To be honest Adrien didn't really know how the conversation came up between them. In the space of them getting to know each other better the topic of past relationships managed to rear it's head and he discovered that both of them had left rather unsavory situations.

"Ah...well…" He paused slightly. "The last girl that I dated, actually the only other girl, her name was Chloé Bourgeois. We attended the same private school together since early childhood. I had a crush on her from a young age and when I finally got the nerve up to ask her out I was delighted that she said yes. We dated from 7th grade up until the end of our last year in school. It was then I found out that the only reason she was even with me was because she wanted to use my fame as a model to catapult herself into stardom. Once she had what she wanted she pretty much tossed me to the side like garbage but I kept pining after her like an idiot because I _thought_ I was in love with her. Then I found out she was cheating on me with someone she viewed was more successful than I was. I was heartbroken when I found out and quickly broke up with her afterwards." He managed a small laugh as he looked down at his hands. "I actually made a huge scene out of it. We had just finished our graduation ceremony and I screamed at her when I watched her kiss some other guy. Pretty much swore off dating for the next two years afterwards, until I met you." He admitted shyly, finally looking up at her.

She was looking at him with sad eyes and quickly she took his hand in hers in an attempt to console him. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. No one deserves to be treated like that…" She murmured that last part quietly, he almost didn't hear it. He waved a quick hand in dismissal. "It's all in the past, that was two years ago. I'm well over it and currently very happy to be with you, Princess." He said, offering her a gentle smile. She returned it though not as enthusiastically as he had hoped. Quickly he cleared his throat before speaking up.

"So, what about you? You must have a bit of a happier dating experience?" He asked her but his eyes were quick to fill with worry as he watched her deflate even further. "Actually, no." She said with a small sigh. "I've only been with one other guy as well, his name was Nathanaël and I thought at first that he was an incredibly sweet artist. He would draw portraits of me all the time and seemed like this adorable hopeless romantic. But then things started to get too serious too fast and he started to become really pushy for certain...things. He said that if I didn't go along with it then it meant I didn't love him and it would leave him heartbroken. I wasn't really confident in myself back then so I felt like I couldn't say no and just sort of went along. Needless to say it was never enjoyable when it happened."

"Marinette, that's horrible." He said as he stared at her wide eyed. He suddenly felt incredibly guilty for all those heated moments they had shared hidden away in the dark corners of some club or party. It was clear the guilt was written all over his face because she was quick to start up again. "Oh, please, please don't feel bad about anything. It was a long time ago and, like you with your ex, I've happily moved on from that dark time in my life." She said with a quick squeeze of his hand. "You've done nothing so far that I wasn't comfortable with and believe me when I say that I would have stopped you if I had ever disliked anything that you did."

Her words made him feel a little better but he made a promise to himself that from that moment forward he would let her lead anything even possibly sexual between them. Adrien wanted to make sure that she was completely comfortable and, should they ever move far enough, willingly consented to anything that possibly happened. He also made a side note that if ever saw that Nathanaël come fifty feet within Marinette he'd beat the ever living shit out of that fucker. He logged those thoughts away into the back of his head as he started to steer the conversation towards a more light hearted, happier topic.

Some time had passed since this exchange happened between the couple and while it's details were mostly forgotten about Adrien never forgot the promise he made to himself. And it resurfaced abruptly when he looked down at his phone to read over the text he'd received from Marinette.

[Hey, so my parents are going to be out of town for a few days during the holiday and they asked me to watch over the shop. Would you like to come over and hang out for a bit, maybe cuddle up on the couch and watch a movie or something?]

Adrien stared down at his phone wide eyed. They had just finished their fall semester so they were out of school for the next two and a half weeks. Adrien had stayed on campus, not really feeling like he wanted to head back to the cold mansion that was supposed to be his home. Marinette, on the other hand, had gone back to her parent's home above their bakery. Clearly this was a completely innocent invitation to hang out with his girlfriend, alone, in her parents house and do absolutely nothing dirty at all. Right? But, on the other hands, what it was _was_ an invitation to do... _that_. Maybe she was ready for that? Should he come prepared just in case or would she take that the wrong way and get upset with him?

[I'd love to, Princess! Should I bring some change of clothes in case I pass out on your couch?]

Innocent enough, since he sometimes had a habit of falling asleep whenever they did spend time watching movies in each other's dorm. Depending on how she responded would help him decide, he reasoned, on if he should be prepared for anything.

[Might be a good idea, Chaton. ;) ]

His eyes locked on the winky smiley face. Was she _flirting_ with him? Did that mean he was on the right train of thought? He thought her response would help but honestly it was just making him more confused. He ruffled his hair roughly as he paced around his room. Eventually he settled on a decision which was that it was better to be safe than sorry. He grabbed his backpack that hadn't left its home since school let out for break, dumped out his textbooks and notebooks, and quickly threw in some spare clothes along with some proper protection in case things did get sensual before he sent her one last text.

[On my way, mi'lady. Walking out the door right now.]

He hit send as he locked his dorm room behind him and hurriedly made his way towards the nearest metro station. Luckily for him he already knew where he was going. Marinette invited him to come along to one of her visits back home to introduce him to her parents. He had been a nervous wreck the whole way there but the moment they entered the bakery all his worries vanished. Tom and Sabine had been overly warm in welcoming him into their home and seemed overjoyed to hear that Marinette had found herself a charming and handsome young man. He was glad that they approved of him and hoped that he didn't disappoint them as far as taking care of their daughter was concerned.

Before he knew it he was gently knocking on their front door and he heard from the other side Marinette shuffle over to the door. Instead of opening it, however, she called to him from behind the door.

"Who is it?" Her voice rang out sweetly.  
"Your knight in shining armor here to keep you safe from your dark and lonely nights." He hummed back at her.

With a laugh on the other side of the door it swung open to reveal Marinette wearing pajamas too adorable for this world. "Your armor doesn't look so shiny to me, dear knight." She teased. He mockingly held a hand over his heart and feigned an insulted expression. "You wound me, dear Princess. This knight fights valiantly for your affections so you'll have to forgive him if he forgets to take care of his armor." He pleads. He's rewarded with a giggle as she stands to the side of the door so he can step inside before she closes it behind him.

He sets his backpack down in her bedroom before returning down to the living room where she had already set up a movie viewing nest, as she liked to call them. The couch was covered with pillows and blankets while the coffee table had an abundance of snacks that were mostly left over treats from the bakery. Marinette waited for him patiently, half covered up in a blanket already with the movie paused on the opening credits. He happily settled himself down on the couch and pulled her closer to him as she bundled them both up to keep them warm during the cool winter night.

Snug like two bugs in a rug the couple remained cuddled against one another as they watched their movie in content silence. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders as his hand mindlessly caressed her arm while her fingers on his chest idly returned the affection. About half way through their film, however, there was an unexpected but well appreciated shift.

Carefully she wiggled herself up enough to be eye level with Adrien as her hand cupped his cheek and turned his face to look at hers. Sweetly she leaned in for a kiss that he expected to last for only a fleeting moment but was pleasantly surprised when she lingered longer than expected. Slowly their lips moved against each others as they both relished in the warmth that slowly spread through them from the contact. He found that the hand that was previously resting on her arm had moved up to cup the back of her head as their kiss took a passionate turn towards awesome. Lightly he felt her nibble at his bottom lip and although his breath hitched he was quick to turn the game around with the light tease of his tongue at her lips.

She parted them quickly and his tongue was just as quick to dance with hers. She tasted so sweet on his tongue he couldn't get enough of it. The air between them became hotter as their kiss continued; Adrien swallowing her soft sighs as she pressed herself closer to him. He let out a low groan when she gently sucked on his tongue. Suddenly the model was becoming well aware of a growing problem in his trousers.

He continued to let her take the lead as he remembered his promise to himself once again. She moved once again and turned him so his back was resting against the arm of the couch. Easily she straddled his hips with her hands splayed wide on his chest. His hands moved to trail lightly down her back before one arm tightly wrapped around the small of her back. His other hand was planted right between her shoulder blades to pull her closer to him. He could feel her bosom press against his chest as his mind began to gradually haze over.

Slowly he sat up, keeping his arms around her while his lips began to wander. He trailed sweet kisses along her jawline before they found her earlobe. Teasingly he gently tugged at the soft flesh and felt shiver jolt down his spine at the delighted mewl she made. From there he grazed his lips over her pale neck before his teeth carefully latched onto a patch of skin just at it's base. Her light gasps and sighs at his affections only urged the blonde further.

One hand snuck it's way underneath her tanktop, leaving behind a trail of fire on her skin as it reached its destination. He faintly cupped one of her breasts in his hand over what he could feel was a lacey bra. As he deftly massaged this sensitive globe his thumb delicately rolled her pert nippled around a few times and she squirmed beneath his touch. "Adrien…" She moaned quietly. He felt his arousal throb beneath her the moment his name escaped her lips. He wanted to hear her say it over and over again; let the neighbors, no, all of Paris hear how he brought this pleasure to her. Her nails raked over his back and he could feel them dig into his skin even through his shirt.

She started to move her hips against his which brought forth a husky growl from deep in his chest. He could feel her picking away at his willpower to restrain himself and let her lead them through this, whatever this was, but dear god if she kept moving her hips like that he might not be able to wait. He greedily stole her lips in another kiss, pouring his desire for her in every movement they made. His other hand pushed her shirt up rest just above her bust so both hands could tease at her breasts through her bra. She moaned lowly into his mouth and he drank in her sounds with glee.

Marinette started to move faster against his hips and he began to match her movements with his own. He felt her fingers combed through and tug at his hair while his affections grew a bit rougher. He planted wet kisses down her throat then moved to tauntingly glide his tongue over her collarbone. Adrien could tell she was flushed as her warmth radiated in his mouth. Both of their movement started to become erratic as together their desires clouded all thought. Quickly, though, Adrien had a moment of clarity as he pulled back from Marinette with ragged breath and heated cheeks.

"Marinette, I…" he paused to collect his thoughts and will some blood back into his brain. "I just need to be sure that this is something you _want_." He states as he looks deeply into those hazed, endless blue eyes he's come to love so much. "I don't want you to feel like you have to do this, or anything for that matter, just to make me happy. She smiled down sweetly at him before placing a chaste kiss against his lips. "Adrien…" She hummed happily. "...There is no doubt in my mind that there is no one else I'd rather do anything with than you." Despite the heated flush that already covered her features he watched as a deeper crimson made itself known. "Actually...I'm pretty sure that...I love you, Adrien."

His heart stopped. His mouth went agape at her words and he knew that he was staring at her like an idiot but, did she really just say that?! His shocked expression was quickly replaced with a huge smile while he rested his head against her shoulder. "Say that again…?" He asked softly. He felt her chuckle before speaking up again.

"I love you, Adrien Agreste." Oh ho, she even added his last name that time. He held her tightly to him before lifting his head up to look in her eyes once more.  
"I love you too, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." He said and watched happily as her eyes lit up as a beautiful smile graced her features. Gently the model brought their lips together as if to seal their declarations of love with a kiss. It was unhurried yet sensual as if they were silently repeating 'I love you' with each movement of their lips. As it continued the heated passion that had once been between them began to resurface as she sighed against his lips once more.

He broke their kiss and carefully guided her off his lap before moving off the couch. With one swift motion he lifted her up bridal style causing her to let out a quick squeal the moment she was airborne. Cutely he nuzzled her neck as he carried her up to her room, being very careful not to bump her into anything while being very grateful for her help with opening the trap door that lead to her room.

He cradled her sweetly in his arms as he laid her down onto the mattress while following down after her. Lightly he pressed her beneath the bed and his own body as he showered her jaw and neck in soft kisses. His hands were once again under her tank, pushing the fabric up her chest before swiftly pulling it over her shoulders just to toss it to the side. His affections gradually moved down her torso with the occasional mild nip at her skin. He could feel her body rush with warmth beneath his cheeks as his tongue teased at a nipple through the lace fabric of her bra. He lingered over her breasts for a while longer, making sure each one received equal attention, and then continued to leave a hot trail of wet kiss down her stomach.

Her hands roamed up his arms that were firmly planted on either side of her. They gripped tightly at his biceps as her body rippled with desire. Kiss swollen lips were parted as blissful sighs and moans effortlessly filled the air. Calmly his fingers looped over the edge of her pajama bottoms to lightly tug them down her pale legs. As the fabric moved down to expose her matching lace and panties along with the smooth skin of her legs he moved his lips to plant butterfly kisses against her thighs. Once her bottoms were off he pulled back some to admire her half naked form.

Already her chest heaved as she took in deep breaths of air, her skin was becoming flush with desire, and those wonderful blue eyes that he loved to lose himself in where glassed over and half lidded. "You're beautiful." He whispered lovingly at her while he memorized what she looked like beneath him. She lifted herself up some as her fingers began to tug at the fringe of his shirt. He easily took the hint as he quickly peeled the fabric off his torso only for it to join the rest of the clothes that had already been thrown to the floor. He nearly purred the moment her fingers touched his sculpted chest seemingly wanting to trace over ever inch of skin the could find.

Adrien allowed himself a moment to just enjoy her hands wandering freely over his torso, every now and then accompanied by a kiss of her own. However Adrien wanted the night to be about her. She was willingly offering herself to him so he wanted to make sure she felt like the Princess he always claimed that she was. He took her hands in his and raised them both up to lightly kiss at her fingers before pushing her back down against the mattress. Her let go over her hands so one could move behind her back and quickly snap open her bra. He pulled the undergarment off her frame so he could lavishly kiss and suck at the exposed flesh. Her back arched into his mouth allowing his fingers to trail down her spine.

He moved up to capture her lips passionately as his hand moved from her back around to her front and gently press against her stomach. Cautiously he moved lower and lower until they teased at the edge of her panties but he paused as if silently making sure it was okay for him to continue. Her hips moved upwards as if to urge him on and he took that sign as a yes for his fingers to slip under the fabric. She moaned loudly into their kiss as the tips of his fingers grazed over her slick folds. Being able to feel how excited she was sent bolts of electricity down his spine straight into his groin. Still he ignored his own needs to focus on Marinette's. His middle finger rubbed circles over her clit before he moved it lower and gently slide inside her walls.

He couldn't stop his groan once he felt how delightfully tight she was just around his finger. He released his hold on her lips with her own just to bury his face against the crook of her neck as his finger plunged into her again and again. Quickly it was joined with a second as she started to rock her hips against his hand. Her own clung to Adrien's back for dear life, her eyes fluttered shut, and her head lulled against her pillows while the blonde hungrily kissed, nipped, and licked along her neck, shoulders, and collarbone.

She let out a discontented mewl when his hand retreated but she was met with a wicked grin from Adrien. He licked his own fingers clean quickly just so he could remove her last little bit of clothing. He brought his head down, peering up at her one last time with a mischievous smirk before his tongue suddenly replaced his hand. Her hips bucked into his mouth at the rapid shift as he practically buried his face into her sex. She gasped his name as her fingers tangled themselves in his blonde mane. His tongue flicked rapidly against the small nub of her clit before it snaked its way inside her. He took his time as he rolled it around to enjoy each and every moan he was able to pull from her.

He was in no rush to end his affections soon but a sudden pull at his hair signaled him that some other lips apparently wanted some attention. The model barely had time to wipe off his chin when he was yanked into a wild kiss. He sighed into it as he felt her hands rush his jeans to quickly unbutton them and start yanking them off his hips. He couldn't stop the smile from breaking out as he helped her remove both his jeans and his boxers. She arched her back to press her chest against his; her hips rising to grind against his. They both moaned as his erection pressed against her gentle folds sending sparks all around them. He was of half the mind to say fuck it with safety and just go for it but luckily he found enough self control to lift himself off of her.

"Just a moment, Princess." he hummed against her lips, giving her one last peck before crawling off the bed to find his backpack. He heard a small laugh behind him as he quickly found what he was searching for, tearing open the condom wrapper. "Kitty came prepared?" She asked. It was his turn to chuckle as he easily slid the rubber down his cock. "I actually spent ten minutes debating if I should actually bring them, I didn't know if you'd be ready or not." he answered honestly. Making sure not to leave her alone for too long he made his way back to her, once again pinning her down beneath him with fiery kisses as he positioned himself at her entrance.

For the second time that night he hesitated to look down at her to once again make sure she was okay with what was happening. She smiled up at him and gave him a small nod to assure him that everything was fine. He took that in stride as he slowly thrusted into her. "Marinette…" Oh good _god_ she was so tight around him. He pulled his bottom lip into his teeth to try and suppress the near guttural groan that dared to rumble low in his throat. "A-Adrien" She mewled into his ear while her arms wrapped tightly around his torso. He pulled out just as slowly as he pushed in which drew out a long moan from Marinette just so he could thrust forward again.

Despite every nerve in his body nearly demanding that he ravish her wildly he fought against it to provide for her loving pace. He'd have other nights to be rough if she wanted him to but right now he wanted, needed to passionately prove his love for her. Although his hips carried a steady rhythm he made sure to be sweet and gentle with each lunge. One hand ghosted over her arm before he entwined their fingers together tightly while his other arm looped under the small of her back so he could hold her closer to him.

Between fevered kisses he made sure to dote upon her body with delicate nips against her skin. Her hips began to match his tempo and the two began to move in unison against each other. Whether it was when they danced together or shared a love filled night between the sheets they melded perfectly together and relished that thought. She was perfect for him and he could only hope she felt the same about him.

Gradually his pace began to quicken as his ears were drowned in her pleasured cries. Her free hand dug its nails into his back as if encouraging the increase in pace. He listened as the timing between her moans began to shorten; watched as her eyes started to roll back into her head beneath closed lids. He could feel his core start to tighten as the repeated friction of his movements veered him towards the edge. Her hips started to push against his franticly and his thrusts shifted from well timed to sporadic and wild. They were both so close, he could tell, but he wanted her to reach there first.

His wish was quickly granted as she nearly screamed out her release. He could feel her while seize around him and it drove him mad. She called out his name in ecstasy which broke the last bit of willpower he had and pushed him overboard to join her euphoria. Her name was a prayer on his lips as he thrust as deep as could into her as wave after wave of searing, white hot pleasure coursed through him. Adrien nearly slammed their lips together to drunkenly sip at each of her delectable moans as he rode out his orgasm with hers.

Time stood still for the pair as they ever so slowly came down from their joined high. Despite the strong desire to remain joined with her he pulled out of her like he was ripping off a band aid. As he peeled the condom off, tying it shut so it didn't spill anything, he quickly scanned the room to find some place to dispose of it. He spotted a wastebin near her bed and easily tossed the used rubber into it. He then turned all of his attention to his goddess of a girlfriend, pulling her into a warm embrace while nearly smothering her in gentle kisses.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly, nuzzling his nose into her hair as he made sure that she was still okay with what had just happened. She hummed happily as she snuggled herself up closer to his chest. "Amazing." She whispered back. He smiled and hugged her tighter.

"I love you, Marinette. To the moon and back, I love you." He spoke into her hair. She lifted her head up to meet his gaze. "I love you too, Adrien." She said sweetly. He craned his neck to give her one last kiss that night before they both drifted off into sleep.

The memory of that night was still fresh in his mind as Adrien sat through his first class of the new semester. Regrettably this time he didn't share a class with Marinette this time so they set up a common meeting place so that they could see each other between classes. If he thought he was on cloud nine before that night then clearly there was some higher plane of happiness the model had discovered though he didn't know what to call it. He had never felt so alive or so in love before and he was so glad that Nino begged him enough to go to that first party months ago.

When his class was dismissed Adrien was quick to make his way towards the agreed upon courtyard that he knew held the love of his life. He exited the building nearly skipping in his steps as he rounded a corner before all movement stopped. The sound of what was happening hit him before his eyes fully registered the scenario that was playing out before him.

He heard the unmistakeable sound of Marinette sobbing and even though it tugged at his heartstrings that wasn't the worse part.

That _bitches_ laugh echoed throughout the whole courtyard.

"Chloé…"

* * *

 **A/N:** Oooh I'm sorry (not sorry) to write this wonderfully long, sinful chapter for you guys only to drop a bomb like that right at the end, but I warned you! What did Chloé do to bring Marinette to tears? Find out in the next chapter! Let me know what you think and please share your feelings with me about what's going on! XOXO


	6. Your knees a-bending, so

The next few minutes were a blur to Adrien. In one moment he was rushing towards Marinette, pointedly ignoring Chloé's existence, to try and console his weeping girlfriend. In the next he heard a loud THWACK that was still ringing in his ears as his vision was rapidly forced to one side. He didn't blink and he couldn't breath as realization came around with the soul searing sting of Marinette's hand imprinting itself onto his cheek. The only color on his features was the angry red handprint burning into his very being while the rest of him paled.

But the slap wasn't the only pain he was experiencing. The words that she shrieked at the top of her lungs through gasps and sobs were jagged saws plunging into his heart. They shredded it to pieces only to leave him with this gaping chasm of nothingness.

"You're a filthy, cheating bastard, Adrien Agreste! What, was I not good enough for you?! Am I so low for your standards that you have to fucking run off with another woman behind by back just _days_ after I started to fully trust you?! After I was _stupid_ enough to tell you that I _loved_ you?!"

What was going on? What was she talking about? He had been, in every sense of the word, completely faithful to her from the moment he met her at the masquerade until this very second. He didn't even _think_ about other women. So what the hell would give her the idea that he- _oh that_ _ **cunt**_.

He finally moved his head to meet her gaze and mentally winced at Marinette's expression. Her eyes were bloodshot as tears seemed to stream endlessly down her puffy cheeks. Her mascara stained her face and her body shook violently with both rage and sorrow.

"Princess, I don't know what she-"  
"Don't call me that you selfish asshole!" She cried loudly. "You're just like Nathanaël! No, you're _worse_ than he was. At least he only forced himself on one girl at a time!"

Okay, wow, that was probably the worst blow to his everything. It was one thing to be falsely accused of cheating on the love of his life but to be compared to _that_ waste of human flesh was going over the top. Quickly he opened his mouth to try and defend himself once more but she cut him off before he could utter a single syllable.

"I never want to see you again." She growled at him harshly. "I fucking _hate_ you." And with those words his world shattered like a mirror. Everything fell down around him and he felt like the earth was about to open up any second to swallow him whole. She stormed off away from him, probably going to her dorm, but Adrien was too shocked to even consider following her. She hated him. She never wanted to see him again and he didn't even _do_ anything. The only thing that brought him back to the real world was that fucking laughter.

Chloé was nearly doubled over in laughter after watching what had just unfolded all too pleased with herself. He had to remind himself that murder was illegal no matter how much someone deserved to be strangled. Lifeless green eyes shot a bone chilling glare at spoiled rotten socialite which she waved off with a smirk.

"I did tell you I'd get you back for humiliating me like you did, Adrikens." She sang out happily as she turned on her heel and walked away from him. Uncontrollable tears flowed freely from empty eyes, burning at the constant reminder etched onto his cheek of why he was left standing alone in that courtyard broken. If it weren't for the fact that there were still plenty of students walking around him he would have crumpled into his sorrow right where he stood. Somehow his feet managed to find the will to bring him towards his dorm.

Inside the suffocatingly small walls of his room he collapsed onto his floor wailing. He curled into the tightest ball he could manage as his hands clawed at his chest. Despite the fact that he _knew_ that he had done nothing wrong he felt helpless in the situation. The woman he loved hated him and her anger towards him marred his face. He brought one hand up to dig his nails into his still throbbing cheek which only amplified the pain he felt both on the surface and deep within him.

* * *

He woke up the next morning in Nino's room with the worst headache he'd experienced in his life. For a brief moment he had no memory of the priors day's events but when he ran a hand over his tender cheek everything came flooding back to him. He bit his index finger harshly to hold back the sobs bubbling at the back of his throat as his friend came into view.

"You awake?" Nino asked and he was answered by a short nod. "Do you remember last night at all?" Adrien's brow furrowed at the question. His last memory was of his breakdown in his dorm room but he couldn't recall anything after that point. He heard the DJ sigh loudly. "I made you some breakfast, come eat and I'll tell you what happened." Reluctantly the blonde lifted himself up from the couch, pausing as a wave of nausea washed over him. Luckily he was able to swallow the feeling back down before he completely stood up to follow his friend into the kitchen.

He was greeted with a mug of straight black coffee along with a tower of pancakes and some eggs. His stomach growled at the sight so he eagerly sat down at the table and began to dig in while Nino informed him of what had happened. "I don't know where you went before you called me but when you did you were already hammered. I found you crying on a curb a few blocks down from the bakery Marinette's parents owns. You told me that you first tried to call her countless times, then went to her dorm room and found out she wasn't there, so then you tried her parents but Tom forced you to leave. You said something about him threatening to call the police was what finally drove you to leave. I picked you up off the curb and brought you back here just to make sure you didn't drown in your own vomit. Speaking of, your old clothes are in the wash."

Adrien listened intently to Nino's story as he shoveled down the breakfast his friend prepared. With a quick look down he realized that he was wearing one of Nino's shirts instead of whatever it was he had been wearing yesterday. "So, what the hell happened yesterday? Just last week you were telling me that you guys were madly in love and now she dumped you?" Adrien lowered his fork and stared down what was left of his breakfast as he answered.

"Chloé. I don't know how the fuck she found out about Marinette and I or what school we went to but she showed up yesterday out of the blue. Apparently she told Marinette that I was cheating on her, presumably with herself, and Marinette actually believed her." He had a death grip on his fork as he explained what had happened. Nino let out a low groan as he leaned back in his own chair. "Fuck, dude. Knowing Chloé she probably faked some photo or video to use as proof."

They sat in silence for a few moments as Adrien finished off his breakfast and downed his coffee quickly so he didn't have to deal with the bitter taste. "I have to prove Chloé wrong and show Marinette that she was lied to." Adrien stated once he swallowed down the last bit of his coffee. "Do you think that you can arrange some kind of meet up with Alya for me? I'm pretty sure if I try to contact her she'll just ignore me considering her and Marinette are close friends."

Nino raised a brow at Adrien though he pulled out his phone to start texting his own girlfriend. "What do you have in mind?" He asked as his thumbs started typing away. Adrien spotted his phone sitting on the kitchen counter and stood up to retrieve it. "If anything Alya knows whatever proof Chloé used against me. If I can find out what it was I'll know how to prove it's a fake." He answered as he started to send out emails to all his professors saying that he was going to absent from his classes for a while. He couldn't deal with this, school, and his father's demanding modeling plans. Honestly he wished he could cancel some of those but he knew that would just cause more drama. "She can also probably help me find a way to show Marinette once I have what I need."

"I'll see what I can do, bro." Nino said in response. The model rested his back against the counter to stare down at the wallpaper he was using on his phone. It was a picture of him and Marinette out at some park. She had stolen his phone to start taking random pictures and managed to catch one as she kissed the top of his head. His heart ached to be with her again and prove his innocence to her.

* * *

It was a few day later that Adrien was standing over a bridge clutching his coat to his body for warmth against the mercilessly cold wind. No, no, he wasn't there to jump. He was supposed to be meeting Alya there and had arrived a few minutes early just to make sure he was on time. He already had a plan of action set in his head he just needed the brunette's help. A sudden cough coming from his left brought his attention to the present and he looked up to see Alya standing next to him.

"What do you want?" She asked coldly, clearly pissed that her best friend was hurt because of something that, although she didn't know it yet, didn't do. He pushed himself off from the railing he had been leaning against and took a few steps towards her.

"I need your help." He started and it earned him a quick scoff. She turned on him and started walking away but he was quick to run after her, stand before her and grab hold of her shoulders. "Please! I'm begging you. I know you're mad at me but you have to understand, I didn't cheat on Marinette! I would never, in a million years, even consider that idea let alone dare to betray her trust like that. I love her, more than life itself, you have to believe me." He pleaded. Her eyes bored holes into his as if searching for a single ounce of dishonesty within him. In response he willed every fiber of himself into her gaze; hoping to convey that he was being completely honest with her.

She seemed to be satisfied with her search and pushed his hands off her shoulders. "Alright, I believe you. What do you need help with?" She asked. Adrien let out a breath of relief and took a few steps back from her. "First I need to know, did Marinette tell you whatever it was Chloé used to frame me with?" Alya nodded. "Yeah, she said it was a really short video clip but in it was her and supposedly you having sex." Adrien's eyes went wide. That was low even for Chloé.

"I'm pretty sure I have a way to prove that she faked it." He stated and he watched the perplexed expression form on Alya's face. "She narcissistic and loves to gloat. There's some formal party going on tonight and I know that she'll be there. I can get her alone at some point that night and bring a confession out of her. Only thing is, I don't want it to be a recording. I don't want to risk Marinette thinking I faked a confession to try and win her back so I want her to be able to hear it as it's happening. Do you think that you can manage to be with her once I'm able to get Chloé alone so I can call you and she can listen in?" He asks.

Alya blinks as she thinks about his idea. "Actually that works out really well, Marinette and I are supposed to have a movie night tonight." She answers him. For the first time during this shit week Adrien felt a form of hope start beating in his chest. "Great. I'll text you with updates so you'll know when I'm about to call you. Thank you so much, Alya. For believing me and for helping me."

"We're both after the same thing, Adrien. Marinette's happiness. Though, I swear to god, after this you _ever_ do something for real to bring her to tears like that I will end you. You'll cease to exist. You understand me?" He smiled at her and placed a hand over his heart. "I expect nothing less from you, Alya." With their plan decided on they parted ways so they could both prepare for the night ahead of them.

* * *

The sun had just set over the city as Adrien stepped up to the grand hotel the party was being hosted at dressed in a well tailored suit.. It wasn't hard to get himself on the guest list, thankfully enough, and easily slipped past the doormen to enter the hotel and make his way towards the banquet room. It was already bustling with people walking all around to admire it's decor and design. But Adrien didn't care for any of that, he had a mission to carry out and he was going to make sure that he went through with it perfectly. He shot a quick text to Alya stating that he had arrived before he went about locating his target: Chloé.

She wasn't hard to find, that nasally laugh quickly giving her away. She was bust chatting away with some people when she caught him out of the corner of her eye. He watched as a wicked smirk broke out against her features and she soon excused herself to greet him.

"Well, well, if it isn't poor Adrien Agreste. I didn't expect to see you at a party like this so soon after your little...mishap." It took every shred of his moral fiber not to bitch slap her like the useless twat she was right then and there. Instead he displayed himself as calm and collected. "Life moves on even if we don't want it to, Chloé. I've learned to just roll with the punches and carry on." He states cooly much to her dismay. For a brief moment she seems peeved that he appeared unphased by the events that took place barely a week ago but the look is gone as quick as it came. "Although, honestly, I mostly came here to see you." He said. Saying such words to her felt like bile on his tongue and suddenly he was ready for this to be over with quickly.

Her interest was quickly raised at his words as her eyes unashamedly moved over him. He wanted to puke. "Oh, is that so?" She asked him, taking a few steps closer to him. Inwardly he wanted to pull as far away from her as possible but on the outside he appeared to lean towards her. "Is it. Do you think we could find somewhere...private to talk?" He asked her with a smooth grin. He might actually throw up, right now, all over her, but he had to stay calm. Her smile widened at his suggestion though she pulled back from him to consider it.

"Twenty minutes, room 307. Don't be late." She purred. He swallowed down the new, rising wave of bile in his throat and nodded at her. "Twenty minutes." he responded before she left him to go wander off somewhere else. He left to go find a bathroom because yup he was definitely going to throw up.

He shakily hovered over the toilet as the small dinner he ate before arriving at the party left him through the same pathway it entered him. He flushed it down, wiping his mouth off and turned so he could sit on the toilet seat to look at his phone. He still had ten minutes before he was supposed to go meet Chloé and he sent that information in a text to Alya. With a sigh he rested his head in his hands which were propped up on his knees. He had to stay strong and he had to follow through with this so he could get the information that he needed. He remained where he was just mentally pep talking himself before he looked down at his phone again. Five minutes.

He stood and exited the bathroom stall, quickly washed his hands, and made his way out of the bathroom towards the elevator. On his way there he texted to make sure it was safe for him to call Alya and once the doors closed with him inside the metal lift she sent him a short 'yes'. He hit dial on his phone and it only took two rings for her to pick up.

"Hey, I'm on my way towards her room now. Is Marinette there with you?"

"Yeah, but I have my phone set up to record what happens just in case."

"Wait, why?"

"Apparently there has been a sudden shift in plans. She...she said she was planning on going out to meet Nathanaël."  
"She _what?!_ " He nearly shouted as the elevator dinged to tell him he arrived at the proper floor.

* * *

 **A/N:** Alright so firstly I just want you guys to know that I love each and every one of you for following this story, I'm deeply humbled that so many of you like it that much. Secondly, I'm still working on the story at this exact moment in time even with posting this chapter. But it would be one hella long chapter if I posted the whole thing so I'm separating it into two pieces. So, see you in a jiffy with part two of this conflict! XOXO


	7. It's time to get up and let go

**WARNING:** Okay I don't know how to write this without spoiling things but I also don't want people to get upset that they had no warning of this. SO, there is a date rape attempt in this chapter. If you don't want to read it stop reading the chapter after Adrien settles things with Chloé. If you want like a brief summary of what you missed, PM me and I'll let you know.

* * *

"Yeah, it was a surprise to me too. I tried to talk her out of it but she seems pretty set on going. So try and make this snappy." Adrien could hear as her phone settled in her shirt pocket. For a brief moment he considered listening in but quickly reminded himself that he had a job to do. He set his phone on mute just to make sure no noise came out of it and tucked it away in his suit jacket as he made his way out of the elevator. That feeling of really needing to throw up was again surfacing as he stared at the gaudy gold numbers reading 307 at him. If only there was a room 666, he felt like that would be more appropriate.

Carefully he knocked on the door though he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He took a quick look around the hallway he stood in but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly the door unlocked and Chloé was leaning her head out of the door to peer at him.

"You're late."  
"I had to go use the restroom, I'm sorry."

Her eyes looked him over once more as if she was debating she was actually going to believe him or not. Apparently she did because she stepped away from the door and opened it up more so that Adrien could make his way inside. He didn't know what he was expecting when he walked into the room but he was glad to see that everything appeared normal inside. He was especially glad to see that Chloé was still wearing her dress because he had not liked the way she had been looking at him in the banquet room. She brushed past the model as she made her way towards one of the two chairs in the room and sat down as Adrien made a mental note to scrub the hell out of his shoulder when he got home.

"So, Adrikens, what did you want to talk about?" She asked and motioned towards the free seat across from her. He politely shook his head and remained standing though he did enter the hotel room fully instead of standing right next to the closed door. He leaned against the back of the open chair before he spoke up. "I want to get the process over and done with." He starts and she looks at him with a bit of a confused expression. "I know you haven't changed much since private school, Chloé, so I know how this whole situation is going to play out. You'd let me wallow in self pity for a few more days and then just when I think I might actually start to feel better you'll swoop in and rub salt in my wounds by bragging and gloating about it. So instead of just waiting for you to show up and make my life hell again I decided I'd come to you, make your life a little bit easier." He explains.

She rests against the back of her chair as she listens to him, smiling as she does so. "So, the only reason you showed up to this party was to listen to me brag about how I sabotaged your relationship now instead of later? What if I was looking forward to showing up out of the blue just to remind you?" She asked him which earned her a roll of his eyes. "Then you get to do it twice, so it's really just a win/win situation for you." He states. She sways her head side to side as she thinks his offer over before she starts cackling.

"Do you even know how I did it? How I made your girlfriend hate your guts?" She asked him to which he feigned ignorance and shook his head. "I couldn't believe she actually fell for it, to be honest. It wasn't that well done of a video and it was really short. She's rather gullible, that one." Chloé states just trying to draw this out for as long as she can.

"Wait, it was a video?" Adrien asks again pretending like he has no idea what she's talking about. Chloé nods her head with an amused giggle. "Mhmm. I thought about using a really old photo of us from back when we were together and just having someone touch it up to make it look like something we took recently but her reaction was well worth the money I spent having that video made. Does your cheek still hurt?" She asked though clearly she didn't care for an answer. Instead of glaring at her like he so desperately wanted to do he contorted his features to look more confused than before. "I don't understand…" He says slowly.

"Wow, you can be pretty dense sometimes, can't you? That video was a fake. I just hired some blonde actor to pretend to be you, pretended to have sex, and for some extra authenticity added in an 'Oh Adrien~' so that she would believe it was you." She explained rather proudly even if her tactics were below the belt. He wanted to be mad at her, to start screaming and yelling, but instead he was just so happy that she admitted the truth to both himself, Alya, and hopefully Marinette. Slowly a smile broke out over his features which was a reaction that Chloé was not expecting.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked him with a small tilt of her head. He shook his own as he turned around to start leaving. "Because getting the truth is a nice feeling. I'm going to head home, good bye Chloé." He said as he tossed a wave over his shoulder, but apparently Chloé wasn't done with him yet. She jumped up suddenly from her chair and called out to him.

"It won't work." She said suddenly which caused him to pause in his steps and look over his shoulder at her. "If you try and go running back to her now. It won't work." He turned around to fully look at her again. "Before I approached you in the banquet room I told Sabrina to loop around and take a few pictures of us talking to each other. And then when you came up to the room she snapped a few photos of you walking out of the elevator and into my room. So, once you leave here, I'll leak those photos online and then there won't be any doubt in her mind that you're a dirty cheater." She said smugly.

"You are really determined…" he mutters before he starts laughing. She was taken aback by the sudden outburst because that was clearly not the reaction she was hoping for. "But you're also a stupid bitch." He states once he calms down from his laughing fit. Chloé gasps loudly at the insult and opens her mouth to say something back at him but he cuts her off. "You could post those photos online but everyone worth knowing in Paris knows how much of backstabbing whore you are so there would immediately be speculation that they're fake. And also you just revealed everything to the man who's been recording this entire conversation." He said as he tapped a finger over where his phone rested. "So while you're uploading those I'll be making sure that every single radio station, tv station, newspaper, tabloid, podcast, just every single media outlet imaginable has a copy of what you just said." He said, matching her previous smugness.

She stared at him wide eyed as her jaw slowly dropped open. Suddenly she glared fiercely at him while she attempted to lunge at him and steal his phone away but he was just a bit quicker then she was. He took hold of her reaching hands and pushed her away, taking a few steps back himself in the process. "Nice try but it wouldn't have helped because I'm not the one actually recording it. It's been an open phone call and my friend on the other side is the one with the recording." He said as he smoothed out his jacket. Chloé's expression went blank as she walked backwards a ways before collapsing back into her chair. "Good bye, Chloé. And thanks for telling me the truth." Adrien spat at her before exiting the hotel room.

As he approached the elevator he pulled his phone back out of his pocket, unmuted it, and placed the receiver towards his ear.

"Alya, you still there?"  
"Yup, heard and recorded the whole thing. I can't believe that bitch went through such great lengths just to break you and Mari up. What'd you do to her?"  
"Broke up with her in a public area pretty loudly because she was the one who cheated on me."  
"Wait, that's it?"  
"I mean I guess I made a big scene out of it but if you couldn't tell already she's pretty shallow. Anyway, please tell me Marinette stayed around to hear all that?"

He was met with a long moment of silence on the other end of the phone before eventually Alya spoke up. "No...I tried really hard to get her to stay but the moment she heard your voice she instantly assumed I was further proving Chloé's point and stormed out of the dorm." She explained. Adrien deflated at the news, barely registering that he was back on the ground floor of the hotel. Alya kept speaking as he stepped out to leave the hotel. "But, don't feel too bad. As I said I recorded the whole thing. I know it's not exactly what you wanted but it'll be different if the recording comes from me. She knows I'm not going to give her anything fake so she'll know it's genuine. You two will be back together in no time."

Adrien offered her a weak laugh as he exited the hotel and was met by a cold gust of wind. "Right, thank you, Alya. I think I'm going to head back to my dorm and get some sleep." He muttered though the idea didn't sound all that tempting. "Probably a good idea. I'll have Marinette listen to the recording the moment she gets home. I'll talk to you later." The model thanked her one last time before saying a quick good night and hanging up the phone. He let out a long sigh and examined his surroundings while he mulled over the thought of actually going to sleep.

He was too wired to even seriously consider it. The whole day had been stressful leading up to the events that just happened. Even though he was relieved to finally have the proof he needed to clear his name with Marinette he still felt uneasy. It didn't help knowing that at this exact moment in time she was out with her, in his mind disgusting, ex boyfriend. Maybe a drink would help calm him down? Not a lot, he didn't need to get blackout drunk again and make a fool of himself for a second time that week. Just one to help get the edge off, he reasoned as his feet started to lead him somewhere. Sure there were overcrowded bars close to him that could easily provide the drink he wanted but he needed somewhere quiet to be alone with his thoughts.

As he walked down the brightly lit streets of Paris his thoughts were full of Marinette. It had barely been a week since this whole shit show started but to him it felt like it had been eons. His heart was yearning to be held in her arms again. He wanted to feel her fingers combing through his hair again and to see her captivating smile. He missed being able to just fall endlessly into those bottomless blue eyes that first caught his attention across a crowded rave. But the thing he craved the most was-

"Stop…" Her voice? Without realizing it Adrien had made it to the front door of a speakeasy themed bar he went to whenever he wanted to be alone. His hand was gripping the handle when what he swore was Marinette's voice coming from the alley off to the side ripped him from his thoughts. "Nathanaël...seriously, stop it." Okay yes that was definitely her and he did not like what he was hearing, not one bit. Before his brain could agree with the action of letting go of the door handle Adrien was already walking towards the alley.

"I really don't feel good. How...how much did I drink? I only remember ordering two…" From what Adrien could hear she could barely string that sentence together. He stepped into the alley but didn't immediately see them as half of the alley was blocked by a large dumpster. "You were upset, you needed something to help you relax." He heard a male voice say which sent a violent shiver down the blonde's spine. As he silently rounded the dumpster all logical thought came to a screeching halt.

He watched, mortified, as some red headed prick who probably wasn't going to be living much longer had Marinette pinned against the brick wall. She was trying to push him off her but there was no strength in her arms and she was fighting just to stay awake. To his horror Nathanaël had his teeth on Marinette's neck while his hand was dangerously high up her skirt trying to hoist up one of her legs and that was the point that Adrien snapped.

With an animalistic growl Adrien tore Nathanaël off of Marinette, spun the male around, and clocked him square in the nose with a fist. The redhead stumbled backwards howling in pain with his hands over his broken nose. With a quick scan the model was more than elated to see that Nathanaël's pants were still very much covered and buttoned but the realization that Adrien stopped him before things got worse did nothing to subdue his anger.

Adrien quickly turned towards Marinette when he heard her mumble something completely incoherent and just barely managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. She was out cold in his arms so he gently set her down on the concrete before returning his attention to Nathanaël. All of the rage that had been pent up throughout this week came boiling to the surface. He was mad at Chloé for starting this whirlwind, he was pissed that he couldn't have shown that he was innocent sooner to prevent this night from happening, and he was livid that this _filth_ standing before him dared to assault such a wonderful woman the way he did.

But hey, at least now he has the proper outlet for all of this wrath. Well, not _proper_ because what he was about to do was definitely illegal but the fucker had it coming.

As his vision started to go red Adrien charged Nathanaël with yell and backed him against the opposing wall as he sent his fist flying into the man's gut. He landed a few more hits this way before Nathanaël managed to shove him off and start attacking on his own. The redhead landed a punch just below Adrien's eye but the model appeared unphased, simply turning his head back around to snarl. Adrien went to lunge at Nathanaël again but the latter was able to side step and catch the blonde with a knee towards his ribcage.

It knocked the air out of his lungs but Adrien wasn't about to go down that easily. He jabbed his elbow harshly into Nathanaël's ribs before straightening slightly just to tackle the redhead to the ground. From there it devolved into a wild brawl with both parties receiving nasty blows all over. But you can only punch a guy so many times before you become terrified of the fact that _his_ punches just keep getting stronger, which was Nathanaël's thought exactly. It wasn't a thought that lasted very long because Adrien caught Nathanaël in the temple which sent him to the ground unconscious.

Adrien stood over him as the victor with the taste of blood in his mouth, the beginning of a black eye, probably bruised ribs, and the strangest high he's ever experienced. He let out a groan as finally the pain of what had just happened swarmed his nerves but he did his best to ignore it so he could check up on Marinette. He slid to the ground next to her against the wall and rested his head against hers. She was still out cold but at least now he knew that nothing would happen to her. He reached a hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone that was luckily undamaged to call Nino.

"Dude, do you know what time it is?" Nino asked when he answered. "I swear to go if you're drunk again I wi-"  
"No, I'm not drunk. But I do need a ride...and probably a first aid kit."  
"Wait, what? What happened? And where are you?"  
"I'll explain when you get here, just make sure your backseat is empty because it's not just me you're picking up."

He hung up after he told the DJ where he was and put his hand back in his pocket before looking down at Marinette. He shifted to wrap an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head, whispering into her hair that he was sorry this night, no this week, even happened. He swore that he would make it up to her despite the fact that she couldn't hear a word of what he was saying.

Luckily for the both of them they didn't have to wait long and when Nino arrived his was a machine gun of questions. Adrien answered them as they carried Marinette back to the car and laid her down in the backseat. From there Nino took them back towards the college campus already on the phone with Alya to tell her they were all coming over to the suite she shared with Marinette. She met them in the parking lot bombarding them with same questions that Nino had already asked and Adrien went about answering them the same way he did with Nino.

They settled Marinette into her bed before they sat Adrien down in the bathroom to start cleaning up his wounds and getting him bandaged up.

"It's definitely a good thing that you didn't go home but did you have to get in a fight with the guy?" Alya asked.  
"Fuck yeah he did, and he kicked his ass too." Nino said with a laugh. "I wish I had seen it, the guy looked wrecked."

Alya shook her head as she finished wrapping up Adrien. He was covered in a bunch of cuts and scrapes from wrestling on the concrete which left him with multiple bandages on his arms, hands, and one of his shoulders. There were two really nasty bruises flowering over his ribcage and abdomen, the black eye and a decent gash on the upper left side of his forehead that was currently covered with a gauze pad. Luckily nothing was broken and he wouldn't have to a hospital but he was still in a pretty beat up shape. "Do you want to just stay here tonight? You can crash on the couch if you want." Alya offered as she put away the first aid kit.

Adrien nodded his head as Nino tossed him a bottle of ibuprofen. "I'd like that, thank you." He knew the meds weren't going to help that much but he'd take anything at this point. He downed a few of the pills as the three made their way out of the bathroom. Alya quickly set up a blanket and some pillows for Adrien on the couch before she and Nino disappeared into her room to go to sleep. The model was out like a light just a few minutes after his head hit the pillow with the final thought that maybe tomorrow everything could start going back to normal once Marinette heard Alya's recording.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** Phew oh man. I'm not the greatest at writing fight scenes but that's kinda why I wrote it cause I wanted to challenge myself. But now everyone is safe and at home though some slightly injured! And nothing _terrible_ happened because Adrien saved the day and turned into a badass for a moment. YAY. How will Marinette react when she hears the recording and sees a literally broken Adrien? Stay tuned to find out! R &R please and thank you, I love you all. XOXO


	8. (You're gonna come undone)

Adrien woke up the next morning with the second worst headache he's ever had that week, but it was dulled by his aching jaw and throbbing ribcage. He took in slow breaths because expanding it too much hurt but at least there wasn't a stabbing pain so nothing was broken. With a pained hiss he very slowly sat up on the couch when a strange murmur caused him to finally open his eyes. He was blinded temporarily by all the sunlight in the room but once he was able to actually focus he started looking for the sounds origin. It wasn't until he looked down that he finally found it.

Marinette was sitting on the floor with her head resting in her arms on the edge of the couch fast asleep. It looked like she had been crying at some point because he could see the tear stains on her cheeks. When did she wake up to move out here and why? Was she worried about him? Gently he laid a hand on top of her head to run his fingers through her hair. He was hoping he didn't wake her up in doing so but she twitched awake groggily.

"Mmn, Adrien…?" She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. He gave her a weak smile before speaking up. "Good morning, Princess." He said sweetly as she looked up at him. They stared at each other for a long while before fresh tears started pouring from Mari's eyes. She nearly tackled him in a hug repeating 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry' over and over again like a broken record. He bit back a pained yelp, nearly coughing on it, as he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Slowly he calmed her down until she was just sniffling into his bandaged shoulder with the occasional hiccup. Once she wasn't a sobbing mess he gingerly peeled her off him while settling a hand on her cheek. "What are you even apologizing for?" He asked her softly, his thumb brushing away leftover tears. She took in a breath before explaining. "For slapping you, for yelling at you the way I did, for telling you that I hated you, for just believing Chloé in the first place…" She started between a few more hiccups. "For not listening to Alya last night and staying here instead of going out to see Nathanaël, for the fact that all of this happened to you." Her hand waved over Adrien's body and all the injuries he was covered in. "For being so, so stupid. You're probably really mad at me…" She muttered that last part lowly.

"So, wait, Alya had you listen to the recording already?" Adrien asked, not ignoring her words but wondering why she was suddenly saying all this. She nodded her head meekly. "Yeah, I listened to it five times before she and Nino left for school." His eyes slowly started to widen as he stared at her and he felt his heart start to race.

"And you believed it?"  
"Yes."

His heart beat faster.

"You don't hate me?"  
"Of course not."

Faster.

"So then we're not...broken up?"  
"If you'll have me back."

Break neck speeds.

"Oh thank God." He said in a rapid exhale of breath he didn't know he was holding as he crashed their lips together. Nevermind the fact that the sudden movement of his own torso was incredibly painful it did not matter. She didn't hate him. She was there, in his arms, and she was kissing him back. A week felt like an eternity of torture thinking that he'd never have her back. He broke their kiss to bury his face in the crook of her neck while holding her as close as humanly possible. "Adrien are...are you crying?" She asked softly as he did so. The model hadn't even noticed that he was because he was so focused on making sure that this was actually happening. Everything that he had felt over the last week, the pain, the heartbreak, the anger, the loneliness, everything just came crashing down on him with the realization that it was finally over.

He couldn't answer her when she asked him, instead responding with a near death grip of a hug as her shirt became bunched up in this fists. She gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders while planting sweet kisses on the top of his head. Slowly she ran her hand down the back of his head repeatedly while her other hand traced random patterns on his upper back to help calm him back down. "I love you, Adrien." She hummed gently after a few moments like this. His hold on her loosened slightly at her words but his head remained where it was. "Say that again…?" He whispered.

Marinette couldn't help but smile at how familiar this scene was. Carefully she pulled back while shrugging her shoulder up so he could meet her gaze. While making sure to be extra tender with his black eye she held his head in her hands before speaking up again. "I love you, Adrien Agreste. To the moon and back, I love you." It was her turn to wipe away his tears as she smiled down at him.

"I love you too, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, more than life itself." He said as he matched her smile. He brought their lips together once more fervently because he couldn't put how he felt into words. He was a hurricane of emotion and he poured every ounce of it into their kiss with the hope that she'd understand. He had missed her so much he was terrified that if he left her go she'd be gone again. Adrien could feel himself getting lost in her lips but he quickly pulled himself back as he broke apart from her once again.

He placed a hand on her cheek to gently caress her with his thumb and rested his forehead against hers. He looked down towards her neck and winced at what he saw. Taunting him was a hickey glaring at him as cruel reminder of why his ribs hurt. He moved his hand down to hide it from view but didn't comment on it. It was temporary and would fade away in just a few days he had to remind himself. He chewed at his bottom lip. If only he had been able to deal with Chloé faster then Marinette wouldn't have had to go through such an ordeal.

Marinette could sense the sudden shift in his emotions and raised her eyes to look into his. There was something bothering him because his eyes were focused on her neck. "What's wrong, Minou?" She asked softly. He shook his head to try and drop the subject but she wasn't going to let it go. "Hey, don't try and ignore me. What's wrong?" She pressed as she forced him to meet her gaze. He let out a shaky sigh.

"I couldn't get to you fast enough to stop it from happening…" he muttered. It clicked in Mari's head and she brought a hand up to rest upon his. Her memory of what happened last night was hazy at best. She could remember going out to meet Nathanaël, ordering maybe two drinks, and then suddenly she felt like she had ordered seventeen. From that point it was just flashes of consciousness. She remembered being pressed against a wall and trying to push Nathanaël off her, and then it went straight to Adrien when she watched him punch Nathanaël in the face. And then the next thing she knew she was in her room.

"To be honest I don't really remember much. But you stopped him before things got serious, before he really...you know…" She trailed off, not really wanting to finish that sentence. "It's jarring to think that he stooped so low to drug me like that. But I'm so glad that you showed up when you did, or even at all. There were countless of bars you could have gone to but somehow you went there and you were able to save me. It's like fate told you where to go." She said sweetly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you."

Her words helped him calm down some but this wasn't something that he'd get over quickly. It wasn't something that she'd get over quickly either and they both knew that and they were both okay with it. They had each other to help the other through this whole process so they knew everything would be fine.

It was another week before Adrien returned to school. During that time he called his father to explain to him that he couldn't do photo shoots for a while and he was met with the expected yelling. What surprised him was his father's reaction after he explained why he was covered in bruises and a black eye. There was silence on the other end before his father _congratulated_ him for what he had done and actually cleared his schedule for the next month. Adrien nearly dropped his phone in shock because that was so unlike his usually cold hearted father. But even he had to have morals, right?

It took him a while to get back into the swing of school, there were piles of homework and papers that he had to make up but Marinette helped him through it happily. Adrien had visited Marinette's parents to apologize endlessly for his behavior when he had gone to their house drunk and swore he'd do whatever he could to make up for it. He was glad when they forgave him having already gotten all the details of what had happened from their daughter.

As time continued to move on for the couple eventually everything went back to normal. It was perfect...almost.

When they hit a year of being together Adrien was pacing around in their apartment. Three months beforehand he and Marinette took a huge leap in their relationship and were currently renting it together. She was in class currently and he was holding a small velvet box in his hands freaking the fuck out. "What if she says no? It's only been a year and we haven't been living together that long but I'm so _sure_." he mumbled to himself as he kept pacing around in their living room. "Maybe it's too soon? It's our last year in college and some people do it the moment they graduate highschool." He let out a frustrated groan as he collapsed on their couch.

He had been encouraged by the conversation he'd had with Tom the day before hand. Her father was perhaps too overjoyed when Adrien asked his permission to marry Marinette. But now that it was actually the day he was planning on proposing he was second guessing everything. He knew that he loved her and that he'd happily spend the rest of his life with her but would she really want the same thing? This was kind of the only real way to find out but it was terrifying.

The way his father acted when Adrien told Gabriel he was going to propose had shaken him too. The moment the words left his lips his father stood there like a statue just processing the information. He had brought Marinette over a few times to meet him and his father seemed to approve well of her but maybe Gabriel wasn't expecting his son to be so serious about her? What he did next shocked the model even further. His dad had turned on a heel and walked over towards the large portrait of his mother.

He watched as Gabriel opened the painting to reveal a small safe hidden away behind it. The designer opened it up to pull out the velvet box, closed the safe, covered it back up with the painting, and turned back around to face Adrien. He placed the box in the blondes hand silently before speaking up. "It was your mother's." That was all he said and instantly Adrien knew what was inside.

Adrien was brought back to the present as he looked at his phone to check the time. He had an hour until Marinette came back home from classes which meant he had to finish making all of the preparation for the night ahead. And that pretty much meant he had to decide right now if he was going to go through with this or not. He took in one last, deep breath, and held it for as long as he could. When he couldn't keep it in any longer he let it out quickly and stood up from the couch now determined. He was going to ask her to marry him.

He took her on a mock up of their first date when she came home. Again they wandered Paris looking at different pieces of street art, ate at the same italian bistro, and made their way towards the Temple Romantique. Even after a year of being together they still had plenty to talk about during their walk but throughout the whole evening that velvet box was burning a hole in his jacket pocket.

When they had crossed the lake to once more sit against the cool stone their conversation died down into warm silence. Adrien stared out at the lake waters while the sun set pepping himself up for what he was about to do next. Suddenly he stood up which was met by a very confused gaze from Marinette. He smiled down at her and held a hand out to her with a quick "M'lady?" She took it with a smile and he pulled her to her feet, planting a quick kiss on the back of her hand before lowering it.

He took in a deep breath before speaking up. "Marinette, this last year with you has been the best year of my entire life. No one else has ever been able to make me feel as whole and complete as you do. No one has ever been able to make me feel as loved as you do. We've grown so close together, to the point that I don't think I could imagine my life without you. And I don't want to. I love you, the moon and back, more than life itself. I know…" he let out a small laugh before he kept going. She was smiling so widely like she knew what he was about to do and it was taking every fiber of her being to not jump on him so he could finish.

"I know that this might be me acting too quickly but…" He lowered himself down to one knee and watched as her eyes widened while he did so. "Marinette." he stated as one of his hands fished out the box from his pocket. She gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her hands as he opened it up to reveal the diamond ring inside. "Will you marry me?" She stood there silently in a state of shock and suddenly Adrien was worried that she was about to say no. Just as he started to prepare himself for the worst she started to nod her head rapidly.

"Yes, yes, oh my god, yes!" She screamed excitedly as she started bouncing up and down. He let out a breath at her answer, elated that she said yes. Carefully he took hold of her hand, popped the ring out of the box, and slid the ring onto her finger. He stood as she gaped at it still bouncing before nearly tackling him in a hug. He lifted her up and spun her around happily, holding her tightly to him.

When he set her down they shared a loving kiss just as the sun finished its descent from the sky. It was almost like it vanishing behind the horizon was fate's way of closing this chapter on their lives. And as they made their way back home, hand in hand, he looked up to see a full moon shinning brightly on them signaling the start of a brand new one.

* * *

 **A/N:** Aww yus, the resolution! A happy ending to a shitty conflict along with some extra feel goods. This is the end of the story, my sweets, and I hope that you guys enjoyed the ride. I'm so grateful for all of your support as I wrote this and I hope I can make you guys just as excited during future writings! R&R, I hope you guys love the ending, and I'll be back again with a new story! XOXO


End file.
